


Can we withstand?

by pebblepebble



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt Alec, Injured Alec Lightwood, Inspired by Shadowhunters (TV), M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-28 14:02:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13905552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pebblepebble/pseuds/pebblepebble
Summary: Alec is injured. Magnus's magic is depleted. What to do...?





	1. Chapter 1

They had been fighting for what seemed like days. Magnus had been with Alec at the beginning of the battle, but as it became more chaotic they were separated. He hadn't seen his Alexander in so long that every flash of black hair and each time an arrow whizzed by, he thought it was him. But alas, he had had no sight of the archer amidst the chaos.  
Disaster rained around the shadowhunters and downworlders. It had started with Magnus accompanying them to a demonic spotting after Alec had gotten a call from Isabelle. But as things spiralled out of control, backup had been called. Luke had brought the pack, and the vampire clan had joined them, too. Everyone was fighting with haste, eager for the end of the battle. Magnus hadn't been injured, but his magic was depleting fast, similarly to the energy of those around him. It was oddly quiet for a moment and he looked around at the others in combat surrounding him. Jace was fighting with Isabelle; they were working as a pair to protect each other. She struck out with her whip just as he sliced through two demons with his seraph blade. They had a dynamic, but not the same dynamic Jace would have had if he was fighting with Alec by his side. 'Where could he be?' Magnus thought just as another demon approached from behind. He sensed it and spun with great force, sending a pulse of his magic to collide with its body.  
And then, just as if it had never started, it was over. Many shouts could be heard through the eerie and sudden silence; the injured called out, and the unharmed searched and reported the dead. Magnus couldn't even reach the nearest bench before he wilted like a flower to the ground from exhaustion.  
Next thing he knew, Isabelle was rushing up to ask if he was alright.  
"I'm fine, are you okay?"  
"Yes, Jace and I were fighting together and--if you're alright, why are you on the ground?"  
"My magic, its-"  
Magnus was cut off by Jace's roaring not far away from where he was sat. He was yelling about something, someone, coming over the hill to the left. Was it another demon? Isabelle called out to him to ask what was the matter just as a glint of red hair came into view. Clary appeared, but she was attempting to help another shadowhunter carry a wounded Alec down the hill. The breath left Magnus's chest as he was on his feet in seconds with great effort. Isabelle was running the second she spotted Alec, leaving Magnus behind. Just because he was able to stand, didn't mean he could run to get to his love.  
He watched anxiously as Isabelle reached Alec and took Clary's position in holding up his right shoulder for support. They came closer and Magnus could see the way Alec's black hair was matted and stuck to his forehead covered in sweat. He could see the way his bow was snapped in half and being carried by Clary, along with his quiver that was devoid of arrows. He could see the way Isabelle was pressing one hand into his lower abdomen, and the way the blood was seeping through like a steady river. He moved forward to meet them at a slow pace, but it was the fastest he could move.  
"Alexander!" Magnus reached out to grab him and Alec looked up into his eyes at the exact same time. There were streaks of blood down his forehead, indicating a possible concussion from a hit to the head. And his gear was ripped, and the apparent hole in his abdomen was alarmingly clean, and-  
Isabelle tried to explain her concern as they gingerly laid him down in the grass, "Magnus he's, he's been shot, and iratzes aren't working, and I don't think-"  
"Magnus," Alec kept eye contact with him and attempted to grab Magnus's hand, but instead groaned in pain and from tiredness. And Magnus was still to depleted to undertake the task of grabbing Alec's hand without extreme effort, so he focused on Alec's condition.  
"Alexander my love." His voice was soothing and he hoped it would aid Alec's evident discomfort. "Don't move."  
Jace had joined the circle of people around the archer and leaned in to see Alec. "I didn't feel anything through the bond, and I thought you were alright this whole time, if I had known you were injured Alec..." He trailed off and turned to Magnus. "What should we do?"  
"I can't aid him, I have no magic left, or energy for that matter. Isabelle you said he was shot? Clary did you see what happened?"  
The redhead had taken off her jacket and was handing it to Jace to press onto Alec's injury and help ease the blood flow. She looked up and met Magnus's desperate stare, "One moment he was covering me and shooting arrows, and the next he was crying out in pain. I didn't catch who shot him, but it was a bullet. From a gun, not a shadowhunter weapon, but a mundane one. Whoever shot him was definitely aiming for him though; I didn't see any other bullets or anyone with a gun while I continued fighting."  
Bellow them Alec tried to murmur something, but he had become increasingly pale with the loss of blood. He looked on the edge of passing out.  
"Iratzes aren't working. We need to move fast," Isabelle attempted to gain control of the situation, since Alec was getting worse and Magnus needed to rest in order to help out. "Jace, you and I can carry Alec, Clary you run ahead and ask Luke if we can use his-"  
She was cut off as Luke came up behind her and Jace to further help lift Alec off the ground and move him, "We can take my car. Should we drive to Magnus's place, or the Institute?"  
Isabelle's face showed relief for a brief second before it changed back to one misery. "Thank you Luke."  
They reached down and moved Alec carefully. He had passed out, but Magnus wasn't sure when. He had been watching him, but how had he not noticed that Alec and gone unconscious?  
Clary swiftly placed her arm around Magnus and assisted him in getting to the car. Thank goodness Luke had an SUV to fit everyone.  
The effort required to partially walk took up his last bit of energy and as they arrived at the vehicle, Magnus promptly passed out, joining Alec's state of comatose. His last thought before he slipped though, was what they were going to do about Alec, and who would try to harm his dear Alexander?


	2. Chapter 2

Alec woke, startled. He lurched forward and his head smacked into Izzy, who was sitting on his legs in the back seat of a--a car? Where was he? 

“Hold him back Jace! I have to get it out!” she cried. 

Then it all came back to him. The battle. Fighting. Being shot down by something. Then pain hit him like a train raging at 80 miles an hour as he felt what she was doing. He bit back a wail. 

“Alec, Alec you need to lay back, please--”

It was Clary. When did she get here? And why was she trying to comfort him when the only person he wanted to hear from was Magnus? So much was happening all at once. Just as he went to ask about Magnus, he sensed Jace tense behind him before Isabelle cursed and pulled her hand back from his abdomen. It was dripping blood. 

“I can’t find it.” 

“But from everything I’ve read it says to get the bullet out before we do anything else!”

Jace and Izzy began arguing over Alec. He just wanted Magnus. 

“Whe-where’s Ma-Magnus?” His own voice was unrecognizable and hoarse, and he tried to clear his throat with no success. 

Everyone stopped and looked down at him. Isabelle reached with her hand, even though it was covered in blood, and softly let her thumb stroke over his cheekbone.   
“He’s passed out. He’s alright, I promise,” Clary spoke up, trying to reassure him in his already difficult state. “His magic is depleted.” 

“It would be helpful if it wasn’t,” mumbled Jace. 

Alec’s mind began to run. Was Magnus hurt? Were they telling him the truth? And why--

He gasped in pain. It was like his side had begun throbbing, and for the first time he truly knew the significance of his injury. Alec grabbed the nearest person’s arm and the seat he was propped against on one side and gripped hard. He needed the pain to stop. 

“Alec are you--”

“Please, please it hurts so bad, I, you need to get it out, I, it, it hurts so bad,” he begged through struggled breaths. 

“Hang in there Alec.” 

“Luke can you drive any faster? I’m sorry but he’s really--”

“We’re almost there.”

Alec had forgotten Luke had been with them at the battle. He wanted to say thank you but his side pulsed again and his back arched at the twinge of agony. 

\-----------------------------------

The second they were pulled up to the Institute (which wasn’t their first choice, but Magnus was unconscious), other shadowhunters were swooping in to grab Alec. Clary had gone ahead and called in so that everyone could be prepared. Her only fear though, was that Magnus wouldn’t be allowed inside. But she knew that Izzy’s short fused temper due to their situation wouldn’t be messed with. 

She glanced and saw Maryse Lightwood, who had also been at the battle, but had left early when she had been wounded in the leg and couldn’t walk without attention to her injury. Now she seemed in perfect condition, trying to lend a hand wherever she could to help Alec. 'The medics here are clearly good, they can save Alec,' she tried to convince herself. Clary watched as Izzy ran after those carrying him on a stretcher, and how Jace hadn’t gotten out of the car to follow them. She looked down at Magnus’s resting form before peering over the seat of Luke’s car at him. 

“Are you alright?”

“No.”

“I can help you out, there are other shadowhunters, too--”

“I can’t believe it.” 

“What?” She noticed how he was sweating and clammy. 

Luke had run into the Institute, too, but returned and opened the door on Jace’s side just as he was about to reply. 

“I’ll help you get out,” was all he said before nodding back at Clary and hoisting Jace from the now bloodied row of seats. 

Jace didn’t protest. His expression was impassive, and she couldn’t tell why. Luke pulled Jace up the steps of the Institute and handed him off to a worried Maryse. Then Luke moved and put the seat down to aid Clary in getting Magnus out of the car. 

“I’ll take him to Alec’s room. He can’t go in the infirmary, that’ll bring to much attention to them, and us, and what happened--”

“I think that’s probably the best plan.” 

“Thank you Luke. For everything. I’ll let you know how it goes.” 

And with that, he walked back to his ruined SUV and drove off to meet his pack. 

She had been concerned that others would come and ask her what she was doing as she carried Magnus, with much effort, down the halls of the Institute. But instead, they were all occupied with Alec and the mess of other injuries from the battle. 

She was very surprised that she actually made it to his room without dropping Magnus. But when she did, she didn’t hesitate to open the door and drop him onto the bed. 

Clary had never been in Alec’s room. As she laid Magnus out and tripled checked for wounds, she noticed the bare walls. Alec wasn’t very sentimental and didn’t have any pictures or anything personal on his dresser either. He was someone she had grown to look up to, with his incredible talent and keen eye in every situation. But there were some things she knew Alec still struggled with. She couldn’t leave Magnus here. Not in this bare room that would add to his shock when he awoke, she realized. So she sat down on the chair next to Alec’s bed, untied her boots, and watched Magnus sleeping before she dozed off in exhaustion, too.

\----------------------------  
She woke up to the sound of Magnus attempting to get out of bed. It looked as though he was trying not to be noisy, but he was muttering under his breath as he sat up. Clary glanced at the clock, it had been two hours. 

“Magnus! You’re awake!”

He jumped and turned to look at her. “Yes, now would you help me get up?” 

“Is your magic back or-”

“Not all the way. I need to see Alec though, since it looks like you haven’t been down to visit him yet.” 

“How did you know that I hadn’t-”

“You still look like a mess. If you had been down to the infirmary, Jace would have told you to get cleaned up and change clothes.” 

“Well thanks, you look great too.” She stood up, feeling how sore her muscles were from the fighting. “Hey look, I can go down and check on him, I just didn’t want you to wake up here alone. But I really don’t think that, well, with the circumstances, you should go down and see him. I’ll go check first okay?” 

Magnus shot her a glare, “Biscuit, I need to see him, he was shot, and he didn’t look so good, and--”

He was cut off by Maryse opening the door and quickly closing it behind her. She looked as though she had been crying, with dark circles under her eyes.


End file.
